Printer Friendly Version - Lacrosse Boosters Open Lax New Snack Shack

The new snack shack at the Valley Regional High School lacrosse field is officially open for business, selling spiritwear, beverages, and candy during games. Principal Mike Barile cut the ribbon surrounded by (from left) Athletic Director Jeff Swann; builders Chris Caulfield, Dave Herrle, Adam Pipkin, and Will Cooley; architect Whitney Huber; Maria DeFiore; and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Levy. Photo courtesy of Lisa Brophy

Athletes are not the only ones who need to refuel during games, and now, thanks to the new snack shack at the lacrosse field, fans at Valley Regional High School lacrosse games will be able to stay hydrated and full of energy while cheering on the home team.

After a ribbon cutting to officially open the shack on April 18, the boy’s lacrosse boosters started selling candy, beverages, and spiritwear during the game against Old Saybrook. The goal behind building the snack shack has been to have a way to raise money that can be used to support the team throughout the season.

“A lot of people donated time, money, and resources to make this happen,” said booster Cindy Frantz. “The materials were donated by Ring’s End, an architect donated building plans and the sliding service windows, and contractors donated 2 ½ days of time to build the structure. Pretty much everything has been donated.”

Plans for the snack shack went before the Region 4 Board of Education on May 5, 2016. The time since then has been spent coordinating the funding and materials.

According to Frantz, Maria DeFiore of Ring’s End Lumber coordinated the donation of building materials, while the plans and the service window came thanks to architect Whitney Huber. Chris Caulfield of Caulfield and Ridgeway Builders also donated materials, and physically built the structure along with contractors Adam Pipkin, Dave Herrle, and Will Cooley. Brett Haskins of Haskins Electric donated the electrical work, paint came from Jay Tonks at Essex Hardware, the countertop was donated and installed by Chris Elwood of Elwooddesigns, and Phil Schaller from Signs and Digital Graphics donated the banner.

The shack is located on the field across from the football snack shack. Beverages such as water, Gatorade, and soda are sold for about $1. Candy is a little less than $1. Spiritwear—hoodies, hats, and other items—can also be purchased so that no one has to guess which team a VRHS fan is supporting.

“We just want to get people to the game and show support for the team,” said Frantz.